Encompass can help Scottish SMEs to identify the barriers to innovation in business and suggest ways to overcome them. We can also provide advice on how you could implement and accelerate innovation for future business growth.

And, if you are ready to innovate, we could help you to navigate the funding landscape and point you in the direction of the most suitable funding to help your ideas move closer to commercial viability.

Encompass is a programme funded to help Scottish SMEs prosper through innovation. The Universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde, Aberdeen and Stirling, along with support agencies in Scotland, can assist you to:

We can help you to think innovatively to help you make a positive difference in your business. The Encompass programme hosts workshops, seminars and mini-sandpits to help you find new directions for business growth.

We can provide advice on whether your ideas would benefit from accessing academic specialists who could help you to shape your ideas and move them towards reality. Engaging with our researchers could unlock new perspectives, create breakthroughs and inspire fresh thinking for your business future.

We could also advise you on where to find suitable funding opportunities to enable you to progress ideas to commercial viability. Our knowledge of available funding ranges from initial feasibility/scoping studies to follow-on funding for larger and longer-term projects.

Often people have some very pertinent questions about public holidays. We answer them below:

Exactly how are bank holidays identified within Scotland?

The Scotland Act 1998 designates to Scottish Ministers the duty for establishing bank holidays (Part II of Arrange 5). The Banking and Financial Transactions Act 1971 offers the legal basis for UK national holiday; and Set up 1 to the Act recommends Scottish bank holidays.

Certain days can be selected under the Act of 1971 as bank holidays (either extra or in place of bank holidays which fall on a Saturday or Sunday) based on Royal Pronouncement each year. These consist of Boxing Day, which has actually been an extra bank holiday in Scotland ever since 1974 and the final Monday in May which has actually been a bank holiday ever since 1978.

The 1971 Act likewise allows the Queen to select alternative bank holidays within any one year by means of Royal Pronouncement. Replacement days are usually selected for all UK bank holidays that landed on a Saturday or Sunday. Wherein any one of the dates landed on a Sunday, the Act replaces the following Monday with regard to that date. If any landed on a Saturday (as well as if Boxing Day landed on a Saturday or Sunday), the Royal Pronouncement consists of alternative days for nowadays.

Exactly what is the distinction in between a bank holiday and a public or regional vacation?

A. It is essential to draw a difference in between bank holidays, and public or regional vacations in Scotland. As the dates for national holiday are laid out in statute or are simply the topic of pronouncement, it follows that these are the same throughout the entire of Scotland. On the other hand public or regional vacations in Scotland are identified by regional authorities, based upon regional custom (not statutory authority) and after assessment with regional company interests.

There is very little legal or statutory meaning of public vacation in the UK and it is doubtful whether public vacations exist in Scotland. The term is frequently mixed up with bank holidays. Within England plus Wales a bank holiday has a tendency instantly to be a public vacation, because most of individuals have the day of rest and the day is usually observed as a vacation. In Scotland this is not constantly the case.

Are vacations in Scotland similar to those of the UK?

Yes. It is a long custom in Scotland for individuals to make the most of the regional vacation closures in their house locations. This custom seems invited by sellers and suppliers of recreation as it provides additional trading chances which would be rejected on a basic vacation. Be sure check the date of the next bank holiday here.

Why aren’t all financial institutions in Scotland not shut on bank holidays?

The Scottish Cleaning Banks chose to harmonise the times in which Scottish banking institutions closed with all those in England and Wales from Easter 1996 forth and are shut down on Easter Monday, the final Monday in August (instead of the very first) and are open for service on 2 January. The banks took the choice to harmonise with England as well as Wales for organisation factors.

Are they allowed to do this?

Yes. This is for specific banks to choose exactly what days they stay open. The regulation does certainly not need banks or other company to shut down on bank holidays. Such a demand would run contrarily to the Federal government’s policy of preventing unneeded guideline.

One of our partners has recently gone into the business of sky lanterns. There has been a lot of mentions of sky lanterns in the news recently. Even though they are quite controversial at the moment, if people do use them, we want to ensure that they are used safely.

This is a little different from our usual topics but we ask that readers take into consideration the following guidelines when using sky lanterns:

Ensure that there is little or no wind. Anything below 7 mph is reasonable for the launch of sky lanterns.

Sky lanterns should only be launched in clear and open spaces. This means that they should be away from any powerlines, buildings or trees. It’s also important not to use sky lanterns within 5 miles of distance of an airport.

If there is a breeze, ensure that it is not blowing towards any obstacles such as buildings or trees.

Make sure that any spectators are standing up wind of the location where sky lanterns are being launched.

Have a bucket of water or a bucket of sand nearby just in case of any emergencies.

They should not be launched by children, only by responsible adults.

Do not use during droughts or during periods of very dry weather.

Do not attempt to launch any lanterns that are damaged or torn.

Do not launch Chinese flying lanterns near the coast as they can sometimes be misinterpreted as a signal of distress.

Make sure that you read all of this if you instructions very carefully before launching any sky lanterns.

Permission to launch sky lanterns is not generally required but it is advisable to contact the authorities in your local area, such as the coastguard for advice. Lanterns fly roughly for around 5 to 10 minutes, in good weather conditions. They can reach heights of up to 500m but there are many factors that affect this such as the size of the lantern, the fuel cell and temperature of the launch site and also at various heights. When the fuel cell has exhausted, the Lantern should gently and safely float back to Earth and so pose no fire risk.

Good quality sky lanterns are manufactured from eyed going to pull materials such as bamboo, rice and mulberry paper. This means that they decompose in a good amount of time once they land.